Mundane Equipment
(Main article: Gear) The complete amount of commodities that are available for purchase, commercial or otherwise, is beyond the scope of this wiki – but the following list of the most common and useful equipment should be enough to get started. Datapad Datapads are thin, supple computer devices that range in surface-size from a page of paper to half that size. They are several millimeters thick, with a semi-flexible structure. They incorporate an intuitive touch-interface and can store up to several terabytes of pictures, text, audio or video data. They have mostly replaced conventional books and documents as a relatively cheap, disposable and yet durable method of storing information. Display Contacts Like the display visor, display contacts are the result of a further miniaturization of display technology. These contact lenses fit perfectly over the eye and project a semitransparent image that can be moved from the periphery vision to about three feet away from the user, comparable to a 36-inch monitor. This can be used to show the character any computer display it is linked to through a PSG or PDA. Additionally, it is frequently used in conjunction with HUD software (see below), to provide real-time data on objects and people in the character’s field of vision. Unfortunately, rapid changes in pressure cause the contacts to critically malfunction. If subjected to a drastic pressure change outside of controlled circumstances (such as airlocks and pressurization chambers), the contacts shatter and stun the user, dealing a level of unsoakable bashing damage. Display Visor An advancement within the area of video display and VR technology, display visors provide on-the-go monitors that can be hooked up to anything from computer systems to recreational audio-visual equipment. Each visor appears as a composite band that arcs across the wearers eyes. It features one or two earpieces that wrap around the back of the ear. The visor is transparent, and allows the wearer to see both the display and the surroundings simultaneously. Display visors are most often linked to a PTG or PDA Eidolon Eidolons are a catch-all term for ritual items carried by scions to help them focus and empower their abilities. Often, they are tied to the symbolism of the culture with which the scion identifies. This can be a religious icon, a hand-carved fetish or even an old keepsake. Whatever the form, these objects are used as an anchor for the potentate. To create an eidolon, a minute quantity of Sinistrium is etched into it and the scion attunes the object to his mindscape in the process. Once so attuned, the scion is immediately aware of the eidolon’s precise location, as long as it is within his sphere of influence. Flash-seal Flash-seal appears as a small block of metal roughly the size of a thin brick. It attaches to any door frame. When activated, chemical compounds inside the brick burn fast and hot enough to melt the metal. Almost instantaneously, a second compound activates, freezing the molten metal into a solid state, effectively welding the portal shut. INIS The IntraNeural Interface System is the state-of-the-art evolution in miniaturized computing. Originally concieved of by the utopics, INIS implants spread across the galactic nations, becoming an accepted alternative to external interfacing. Once inplanted, the INIS allows the user to impose tailored interface overlays on their optical receptors and communicate wirelessly with external processors at a thought. More advanced models offer additional functionality, such as aptitude programs, cybernetic uplinks, virtual conferences and much more. MA Strips Multipurpose Adhesive Strips are another piece of military grade technology that has become publically available. It consists of a layer of chemical adhesive, applied to a fibrous synthetic weave. This is in turn covered with a silvery, water-resistant layer. It can be applied to anything from holding together a broken datapad to constructing a rope-bridge. It comes in rolls of about 30 yards. NANOSKIN Suit The NANOSKIN suit represents the evolution of survival gear. It is a piece of military equipment developed during the Golden Age by the vasharil to help survive warmer climates. They became publically available after the end of the war. Thanks to continued miniaturization of technology along with advancements in chemical engineering, the suit allows its wearer to function well in harsh environments. It appears as a skin-tight suit of matte-synthetic material and comes in a wide plethora of colors and designs. The suit is usually worn under clothing and armor. The suit recycles sweat and urine (which it chemically purifies), using it to replenish its small storage pouches. The outside of the suit is woven with reflective patches that absorb energy and heat, which is stores in tiny energy cells. If the temperature begins to drop, the heat cells release this energy and sustain a comfortable temperature for up to eight hours. If the cells are depleted, chemical pouches can be activated to mix with the stored moisture to provide another eight hours of heat. The panels and heat-distribution system can also function in reverse, cooling the body in temperatures of extreme heat, without compromising the body’s fluid balance or losing moisture. Nanoskin suits are equipped with inhibited nanite colonies that repair and maintain them overnight, sealing up tears and mending holes if they appear. The suits can easily be worn under normal clothes or armor. PDA Personal Digital Assistants, produced by Echelon-Vector Technologies, are an all-purpose device that can act as a scanner, computer, communication uplink and UltraNet uplink all at once. They are compact, collapsible items, usually four by two inches and several millimeters thick in their compact state. They can fold out to twice that surface when activated, and are often linked to other display devices, though they can project a holographic 10-inch screen and keyboard, when active. SAI chip The Subdermal Agregate Idenification chip (popularly referred to simply as a “SAI”) is a tiny microchip implanted beneath the back of the hand. It contains the bearers’ identification information. Most computers can read the SAI and extract its information, while all SAIs can receive another person’s identification information via handshake– making the handshake a permanent way to introduce and identify oneself to another person. Of course, the SAI can be made to not broadcast information, if discretion or privacy is desired. In addition to identification, most people have their banking and credit information keyed to their SAI, so they no longer need to carry and use cash or credit cards. This is of particular joy to the Trade Connection and affiliated businesses, as it almost eliminates the possibility of shoplifting; if a person carries an item from a shop, the cost is immediately withdrawn from their bank account. The Underground has a lucrative market for forged and stolen SAIs, making identity theft and falsification an ever-present crime in some communities. The credit cost indicated is the standard market price for a stolen or counterfeited SAI on the Underground. It is required by law for citizens to be outfitted with a SAI keyed to their person. Stealth Mechanism Ever since the height of the Hamadromachia, military scientists have worked to perfect reliable devices to obscure soldiers on the battlefield to give them an advantage. So far, the pinnacle is the development of the Eyphah class Stealth Mechanism. The Eyphah allows the user to become completely invisible while remaining in a state of low activity. It furthermore emits a fluctuating field of distorting sound which dampens aural emissions from the user. Swipe card A marvel of computer technology, the swipe card is a disposable one-use item designed to allow those who are not computer savvy to bypass card-locks or perform invasive computer-related tasks. Each swipe card is an individual data-carrying card roughly the size of a credit card, with a hole in its center and a magnetic strip on one side. Each swipe card carries a single program designed for a single purpose; this may be to open doors, bypass security restrictions, crash computers or modify information - almost any task that can be performed with the Computers Skill. The cards can be used in magnetic card-readers or inserted into computer drives with equal ease. After a single use, the card triggers small combustive fibers and self-destructs, leaving no trace of tampering. Swipe cards are illegal, and only available through the Underground Trade Connection. Selling, owning or using swipe cards is punishable with a considerable fine or incarceration.